Union minister Suresh Prabhu has offered to help Thane and Navi Mumbai with water from railway dams
Highlights
- Water from railway dams will be released to help Thane, Navi Mumbai
- Water from these dams is usually used by Railways for their daily needs
- Seven of the 11 major dams in drought-hit Marathwada have run dry
After ensuring water trains for Latur city in drought hit Marathwada, the Indian Railways has come to the rescue of the scarcity-hit towns of Thane and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra.
It has decided to release water from its own reservoirs to tackle the acute water crisis that is being felt in Thane and Navi Mumbai. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted late on Friday night the decision to supply water
The Railways have their own dams, water from which caters to their needs at stations and yards and it is this water which will be supplied for these cities.
Thane residents face water cuts for up to 60 hours each week.
Thane city is facing acute shortage with 60 per cent water cuts already implemented and the administration is contemplating an additional 10 per cent cut. Diva, Mumbra and Bhiwandi are some of the worst hit with water being supplied through tankers.
To tackle the acute drought in Latur, the railways launched the "Jaldoot" or water trains which are now regularly supplying 50 lakh litres of drinking water. Two special trains with 50 wagons were dispatched to Latur. The water was filled from rivers in Miraj in Sangli district, 350 km away.
Ironically, Thane city is known for its lakes but the poor monsoon of 2015 has crippled its water supply. Latest figures of the state's water resources department reveals Maharashtra only has 18 per cent water in its dams while in Marathwada levels have dropped to just three per cent. The worry is this stock is expected to last early June, when the monsoon is scheduled to reach Maharashtra.
Specially designed 50-wagon trains will bring in 25 lakh litres of water to Latur daily.